Boiler washing and refilling device



Aug. 14, 1928.

a w Q 6 w r l m 0 0 w H R v2 t "m n om n jfl T. ,Z w E 5 mm. Nmw o wm. MG mmw H1 mm R E L O B M. DOWNER BOILER WASHING AND REFILLING DEVICEFiled March 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w% Qq [727 672 2507" JZierz'ZZoflozwze/ meme Aug. 14,1928.

IIu'IamLo' nowmm, or CHICAGO, ILLmoIs.

301mm wasnnwe am) IuurILLme DEVICE.

Application filed larch 19, 1921. Serial 1101176584.

30 throughout the specification and drawmgs My invention relates to'adevice for. blowing out, washing and refilling locomotive boilers and isfor particular application 'for points, such as round houses, wherelocomotives are received and cared for. 'One object is the provision ofmeans for reduc-- ing the smoking of locomotives in round houses.Another object is the provision of means for initially heatinglocomotive water and steam, or for initially supplyin a locomotive withwater and steam whi e minimizing the necessity of initial locomotivefiring in order to raise steam. Another obfeet is the provision of meansfor clearing and cleaning the locomotive boilers. An-

other object is the rovision of means 'for employing the-heate water andsteam from the locomotives being cleaned for heating and supplying waterand steam to outgoing locomotives. 7

Other objects 'will appear from time to time in the course of thespecification and claims. P y

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically. 1n theaccompanying drawm s, wherein- I iigiire 1 is a plan view; and p yFigure 2 is an elevation.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols Whereas my invention isfparticu arly adapted for use with round houses the structure of theround house itself is omitted since it forms of itself no part of theresent invention and since a round house s owing is unnecessary for theunderstanding of the present invention. I

I Referring to the drawings herein it will be understood that Aindicates a blow-out pipe, that is to say a connection which is made,through whatever intermediate means may be necessary, with thelocomotive boiler.

It will be understood that when the locomotive is brought into theround-house for 5 servicing, a connection with the blow-out pipe A ismade and the water and steam in the locomotive boiler is exhaustedthrough such pipe into the separator A. Such separator is in the form ofa cylinder A and a 0 bottom A, the blow-out pipe being provided with atan ential connection A intermediate top an bottom of said 0 linder.

. A is any suitable outlet valve throng which sludge, dirt and otherimpurities may be u exhausted, by the passage A to anysuitable sewerconnection, such as the catch basin top A. It will be understood thatthe valve A is thermostatically operated in responseto the heat of thesteam andwater within the separator A. I do not claim the employ- 00ment-of any particular thermostatic valve I but I illustrate a valvewhich is made responsive to the temperature of the steam or water bymeans of a pipe A extending from the tan ential connection A to thecylinder A of t e valvejcontrol means. The pipeA is shown as having thebranches A. The circuit is completed by the exhaust connection A whichbranches as at A.

As the mixed water and steam passes from 7 the blow-out pipe into theseparator a separation is effected, the impurities settlin to the bottomfor disposal as above discri d. The steam passes through-the passage B,from the top of the separator A to the refill tank B Thissteam tends toheat the water which,- as below described, is supplied to the refilltank for refilling the boilers of outgoing locomotives. The urified'waterpasses from the separator A. y the line B l! to the washout tank Bthe purpose of which is to supply water for washing out 1000- motiveboilers. The water so drawnpassea from the washout tank B by the pipeline B and through thevalve B to an suitable. I pump B hereindiagrammatical y shown as electrically operated by the motor .B. Suchpump delivers water along the liquid line 13 which extends to thepointof. use, for example in a'locomotive round. house, I. and may beprovided with an "suitable number of branches, not herein s own. Since.it is desirable to have the washout water at a temperature not too hotfor use forexamrge at 120 F., I provide a cold water lineincommunication with the passage B. This cold water serves to dilute thehot'water of the washout tank, when necessar in order a to hold down thetemperature 0 the water su lied for boiler washout purposes. rom therefill tankB water is drawn through the liquid line C and pump G,

actuated by the motor C for delivery along the water line C through theair chamber C to. the boiler C. The boiler may be heated in any suitablemanner but is herein shown as heated by any suitable oil burner.

The details of the boiler do not per se form any part of the presentinvention but I illustrate the boiler as including besides thecylindrical portion C a heater (1 provided with an oil burnin device Chaving the two injector nozzles diagrammatically shown as C". Iillustrate diagrammatically automatic means for actuating the oil burnerin response to fluctuations in temperatures. Thus I show a Y connectionC at the top of the cylinder C one arm of which is provided with asafety valve 0 and the other with the line C extending to the burnerdevice C. I donot illustrate the details of the pressure control sinceit forms no part per se of the present invention, but it will berealized that any suitable means may be employed for varying or cuttingoff the flame of the burners in response to pressure variations.

In addition to the pressure control I provide any suitable temperaturecontrol whereby the flame is turned up and down or on and off inresponse to variations in tempera; ture. I do not describe or show thedetails of such temperature control, since they form no part of thepresent invention but I do illustrate the thermostatic element C incommunication, through the pressure line C, with the burner controlmechanism C.

In order to provide relief means for the boiler and cylinder C I nectionDthe two arms 0 which extend to the refill tank B In one arm ispositioned the automatic pressure relief valve herein indicated as D,operative to permit the contents of the boiler C to blow off into therefill tank B when a predetermined pressure is exceeded. D indicates athermostatically controlled heater valve adapted to permit the contentsof the boiler-C to flow into the refill tank B when a predeterminedtemperature is reached. The refill tank thus not only supplies water tothe boiler C, but serves also to relieve the pressure therefrom, thuspreventing any water waste. Furthermore the circulation of water orsteam into the refill tank serves to maintain the temperature of therefill tank at or above the desired minimum. The refill tank B is alsosupplied with a drain pipe D extending from the bottom of the refilltank to the catch basin top A. D is any suitable control valve therefor.

The tank is also provided with an overflow line D, extending from theupper part of the tank to the catch basin top Extending from the boilerC is the refill line E which may extend to around house or other pointof use and which serves to deliver to the boilers of the outgoinglocomotives hot water and steam. The water and steam so delivered mayfor example be at a. temperature of 340, and under high pressure.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practicaland operative device that nevertheless many changes rovide a Y con-.

might be made in the size, sha e, number and disposition of partswithout eparting from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish mydrawings and description to be taken as in a broad sense illustrativeand diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my specific showingherein made. I

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

In the application of my invention to round house practice the incominglocomotives are connected to the blow-out pipe A and mixed water andsteam is blown from their boilers into the separator A The steam passesthence by the passage B to the refill tank 13; The water passes aboutthe line B to the washout tank B". The refuse or sludge passes throughthe passage A to the catch basin. The escape of the sludge is controlledby a thermostatic valve which so operates that when hot water and steamare flowing into the separator, the valve is closed in response to thehigh temperature. When such water and steam have been exhausted from theseparator the drop in temperature permits the control valve to open andto exhaust the sludge.

The water which escapes along the line B is employed for washin outlocomotive boilers or for other uses an is moved by the pump B. It maybe diluted with cold water flowing through the line B".

The refill tank is the water source for the refilling of the outgoinglocomotives. VVatcl' asses thence, driven'by the ump C to the oiler C".The air cylinder serves to provide the necessary air cushion. Hot water,under pressure, is exhausted from the boiler C along the refill line Eto the round house for suppl to the outgoing locomotives. Heating 0 thewater in the boiler C is controlled both by pressure and by temperatureas above described, the flame of the burner oing on and off in responseto increase or ecrease, both of pressure and of temperature. Also waterfrom the boiler C may circulate back into the refill tank B through theline D and the automatic pressure relief valve D and thethermostatically controlled relief valve D.

I claim:

1. In locomotive handling equipment, a blow-off and refill plant whichincludes an inlet connection adapted to be connected to a locomotiveboiler. a separating means asso ciatedwith said inlet connection adaptedto separate impurities from the inflowing steam and water, a refillreceptacle, means for directing thereto the inflowing steam from theseparating means, a boiler, a water line from the refill tank to theboiler, a refill line extending from said boiler to the point of use, areturn line from the boiler to the refill tank and a thermostaticalloperated valve associated therewith and a apted to permit the boilerwater reaches a predetermined temperature.

2. In locomotive handling equipment, a blow-off and refill plantwhich-includes an inlet connection adapted to be connected to alocomotive boiler, a separating means asso-v ciated with said inletconnection adapted-to separate impurities from the inflowing steam andwater, a refill receptacle, means for directing thereto the infiowingsteam from the separating means, a boiler, a water line from the. refilltank to the boiler, a refill line extending from said boiler to thepoint of use, a return line from the boiler to the refill tank and apressure relief valve associated therewith and adapted to permit flowfrom the boiler to the refill tank when the boiler pres sure reachesapredetermined limit.

In locomotive handling equipment, a blow-oil and refill plantwhichinclud'es an inlet connection adapted to be connected to alocomotive boiler, a separating means associated with said inletconnection adapted to separate impurities from the infiowing steamandavater, a refill receptacle, means for directingtheretothe infiowingsteam from the separating means, a boiler, a water line from the refilltank to the boiler, a refill line, ex-.

tending from said boiler to the point of use, a return line from theboiler to the refill tank and a pressure relief valve associatedtherewith and adapted to permit flow from the boiler-to the refill tankwhen the boiler pressure reaches a predetermined limit, a-

washout tank, a waterline extending from the separating means to thewashout tank, and a washout line extending from the washout tank to thepoint of use.

and a pressure relief valve associated therej with and adapted to permitflow from the boiler to the refill tank when the boiler pressure reachesa predetermined limit a washout tank, a water line extending from theseparating means to the washout tank and a washout line extending fromthe washout tank to the point of use, pumping means in said washout lineand means for cooling the water delivered along said washout line.

5. In locomotive handling 'ui ment a blow-oil and refill plant which incudes'an inlet connection adapted to be connected to a locomotive boilera separating means assos ciated with said inlet connection adapted toseparate impurities from the inflowing steam and water, a refillreceptacle, means for directing thereto the inflowing steam from theseparating means, a boiler,-a water line from the refill tank to theboiler, a refill line extending from said boiler to the point of use, areturn line from the boiler to the refill tank and'a pressure reliefvalve associated therewithand adapted to permit flow from the boiler tothe refill tank when the boiler pres sure reaches a predetermined limit,a washout tank, a water line extending from the separating means to thewashout tank, and a washout line extending from the washout tank-to thepoint of use, and a cold water line adapted to deliver cold water to thewashout line.

' 6. In a locomotive handling equi ment, a blow-ofi and refill Plantwhich inc udes an inlet connection adapted to be connected to alocomotive boiler, a refill tank in communication with such inletconnection, a boilerassociated therewith, a waterline from the refilltank to the boiler, pumping means in said water line, a return line fromsaid boiler to,

said refill tank and means therein adapted to permit a return flow ofwater in response to predetermined excess temperatures and pressures inthe boiler and a refill line extending from said plant to the point ofuse. 7. In a locomotive handling equi ment. .a

blow-off and refill plant which inc udes an inlet connection adapted .tobe connected to a locomotive boiler, a refill tank in communication withsuch inlet connection, a boiler associated therewith, a water line fromthe refill tank to the boiler, pum ing means in said water line a returnline om said boiler to said refill tank and means therein adapted topermit a return flow of water in response to predetermined excesstemperatures and pressures in the boiler,

burner means for heating said boiler and control means thereforresponsive to pressure and temperature conditions in the boiler. 1 I

fSigned at Chica 0, county of Cook and State of Illinois t is 16th dayof March,

MURILLO DOWNER.

